Ear Tubes in Toddlers

You and your child's doctor have decided that ear tubes are right for your toddler. Here's what tubes in toddler ears means for you and your little one and what you both can expect before, during, and after the procedure.

Tubes in toddler ears are pretty common. Ask around, and you’ll find that half your mommy friends have probably been through the drill with their children. Sometimes, however, your doctor will recommend ear tubes for your toddler to relieve chronic ear infections. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not you'd like to give them a go is up to you.

If you and your child's doctor have decided on ear tubes, you probably have a lot of questions. Here’s how to prep your toddler for the procedure:

Give him the (simple) scoop about the surgery. The day before the procedure, tell your tot what he’ll experience: The doctor will make him sleepy and then fix his ears. Your toddler knows that his ears hurt sometimes, so he might be relieved to hear that the doctor can help. No need to give him the lowdown any earlier than surgery eve or give a detailed, medical explanation of ear tubes in toddlers and the procedure (he’ll probably forget with more advance notice or he’ll work himself up into a fearful tizzy).

Tell him how surgery day is special. Explain that he’ll have to skip breakfast and drinks until he sees the doctor, but he’ll get a yummy snack right after his ears are fixed. Also let him know that he’ll change into a special gown that the nurses give him at the hospital or surgical center. Good news, though: He can bring along his favorite comfort object (like his lovey), and once he wakes up you’ll be right there to cuddle with him.

Talk about the anesthesia mask. Your toddler may be confused about going to sleep when it isn’t naptime, so clue him in on how the doctor will help him snooze. He’ll probably be asked to practice ABCs and 123s while the doctor puts a mask over his nose and mouth (tell him this doesn’t hurt at all). Pretty soon, he’ll feel sleepy, and, next thing he knows, he’ll wake up in a room where you’ll be waiting. Remember that the anesthesia is probably scarier for you than it is for him, so keep calm while you describe the process and he’ll likely follow your lead.

Tell your child about IVs (if he’ll be awake when they insert one, that is). Many doctors will wait until the anesthesia has taken effect before having a nurse insert an IV, which keeps your child hydrated while they place the tubes in your toddler's ears. If the IV will be inserted while your wee one’s awake, tell your tot that you’ll be right there with him during the quick prick. Before the nurse comes in with the IV equipment, show him just how fast it will be by having him say, “Owie!” as you snap your fingers or tap his arm. When it’s IV time, distract him by playing a game (“Do you see any white things in the room? What about blue things?”), or by putting on a mini puppet show.

Stress that he can go home soon. Tubes in toddler ears don’t require kids to stay in the hospital long. As soon as the nursing staff rules out any post-surgery complications (don’t worry — they’re minor and rare) and has checked to make sure he can hold down food, you’ll be strapping him into his car seat to head home. While your doctor will likely recommend a quiet afternoon, many kids are playing like they usually do before the day is out.

Give yourself some reassurance, too. You might be surprised at how speedy the surgery for ear tubes in toddlers is — just 10 to 20 minutes from start to finish. After the tubes are put in, your child will be in the recovery room, where he’ll wake up with you by his side. The anesthesia dosage is so small that your tot will likely be up and at ’em within half an hour of going under.

After the surgery is over, your tot might feel a little groggy or nauseated. That’ll pass. Toddler hearing also tends to be sharper post-surgery (he might report that noises sound louder than before) — that’s because all that sound-muffling fluid in his ears is (poof!) gone.

Over the next few days, you’ll probably need to use eardrops and check for drainage, and in a week or two, you’ll head back to the ENT one last time — just tell your toddler that the doctor wants to see how healthy and clean his ears are now. Because the ENT typically just takes a quick look in the ears, then congratulates your little one on his excellent recovery, this appointment is nothing to worry about, just like ear infections will likely be from now on.